Toy.



W. SADTLER.

TOY. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 25, 1913.

1,094,749. Patented Apr..28,1914

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. SADTLER.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED @111.251, 191s.

Patented A111228, 1914n 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. SADTLER.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1913. 1,094,749. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WRAP -C0.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

WILHELM SADTLER, OF HOMBURG-ON-THE- HHE, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF ERNST PAUL LEHMANN, OF BRANDENBURG-ON-THE-HAVEL, GERMANY.

TOY.

Vi ,094,749. Specification of Application filed January 25, 1913.

To all Iwho/m. t may concern.'

Be it known that l, VILHELM SADTLER, a .subject of the King of Prussia, residing at No. 2S Brendelstrasse, Homburg-on-the- Hhe. Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toys. of which the following is a specification.

Mv invention relates to improvements in toys, particularly of that class, for which l. have obtained Letters Patent in the United States dated October 15th` 1912, and numbered 1,0%1,6T7.

The principal feature of this class of springor motor-driven toy consists in deflecting their line of motion, as they run along the edge of a table or other supporting surface, said change of the direction of motion being obtained by an arm or feeler extending forwardly from the toy and controlling steering means connected with the toy.

The improvements of the present invention have for their purpose, partly to substitute means of greater simplicity for the arm or feeler running in advance of the toy proper, and partly to provide means for changing the path of motion of the toy independently of the said controlling arm or feeler or the means provided to replace the same. The toy, thereby, will be enabled to perform a greater variety of changes in traveling on supporting surface or table. According to my prior invention mentioned above, the toy would move along the edge ot' a table or supporting surface and, at the corner of said table or surface, would turn to follow the adjacent edge, and thus the toy could move around about the table always following its edges. According to the present invention, the toy may be made to periodically turn away from the edge of' the table, run across the surface of the table to its opposite edge, then follow said opposite edge for a certain time and turn away again from the same to cross to another edge, and so on.

To make my invention perfectly understood, l have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a toy car embodying various features of this invention, and Fig. 2 is an underside pla-n view ofthe construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Serial No. 744,200.

3 is a side elevation showing a modified construction according to this invention. Fig. 1 is a side-view of a steering wheel constructed according to another modification of this invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a toy provided with a steering wheel according to Fig. 4l. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of a toy-car provided with steering means according to ano-ther modification of this invent-ion. Fig. T is a similar sideelevation of the same construction shown in Fig. 6, with the parts occupying another position, and Fig. S is a side-elevation of a toy-car illustrating another modification of the saine invention.

Referring, first, to Figs. 1, and 2, the traveling toy, having, as an example, the shape of a toy-car, 1, has one of its forewheels 2, formed or provided with a projecting flange 3, similar to that of a railwaywheel, the other fore-wheel of the car being a common car-wheel of any kind. The said flange 3, running along the side of the edge 4 of the table or supporting surface, has the same function as the steering arm or feeler described and shown in my previous Patent No. 1,041,677, and, accordingly, is well adapted to replace said feeler. Supposing the oar 1, to be provided with a wheel of this kind and having, as described and shown in my previous patent aforesaid, a steering wheel 13 carried by a shaft or rod 14, a lateral pin 14:, to which one end of a spring 15 is secured extending from said rod 14, the other end of said spring being attached to the car-frame 1, the said flange 3 of wheel 2, while closely following the side of edge l of the supporting table, will prevent the said steering-wheel 13 from being turned by the spring 15, and the car will closely follow the straight line of said edge 1. Then the said wheel 2 reaches a corner of the table, the projecting flange 3 of said wheel will be able to turn around said corner and as it offers no further re- .sistance to the traction of the spring 15 tending to turn the rod 14: and steering wheel 13, the said steering wheel will at once be caused to take an oblique position, which causes the car to cha-nge its course and to turn around the corner of the table which had been reached by said wheel 2. The car being steered by the steering wheel 13 from the left to the right side of its path of motion (Fig. 2), causes the said wheel 2, and along with it the other wheel at the opposite end of its aXle, to take the corresponding oblique position, thereby causing the wheelQto turn around the corner and the opposite wheel to follow the same direction. It wll be seen, that by such simple means the feeler or arm running in advance of the car might be replaced. The natural appearance of the motor-car would not further be impaired by the feeler eX- tending in advance of the car, as in the former construction. Such natural appearance, moreover, can be fully maintained by placing a common running wheel at the other end of the aXle of wheel 2, shown in Fig. 2.

On providingl a common second wheel, as described, it will be preferable to pivotn ally support the said axle, by providing trunnions, as at 5, turning in bearings of the frame. At or near the sides of the frame l, the said axle is guided in vertically elongated bearings of a known kind provided l l l l l in the frame-sides which offer a suilicient I play in the vertical direction thereby allowing the axle of wheel 2 to be raised or lowered. The trunnions 5, should, preferably, be located nearer to the common wheel than to the flanged wheel 2. By this means, when the flanged wheel 2 turns around a corner and temporarily loses its supporting surface, the other or common wheel will be slightly lifted by the greater weight of the flanged wheel, and by such lifting the common wheel will be prevented from jarring against the supporting surface and thereby from offering resistance against the turning of the car.

The flanged wheel instead of carrying a concentrical flange, might be formed in the shape of a lateral scroll, as illustrated by Figs. l, and 5B The innermost volute of said scroll is cylindrical and will, first, be placed on the edge 4 of the table. As the car proceeds, the increasing diameter of the volutes will. raise the wheel till. the outermost or largest volute comes to level of the supporting surface or table, and from that moment the scroll acts no more as a iiange to prevent the steering-wheel 13 from being turned by the spring 15, but the wheel 2 will be steered by the steering-wheel 13, which, having been forced into an oblique position, will cause the car to be directed away from the edge a of the table and to ward the opposite edge.

It will be seen that, with this construction of the flanged wheel the toy will be steered away from the edge of the supporting` table not only when a. corner has been reached, but at any portion of the length of the edge, when the scroll, which acts as a flanged wheel, has

performed as many revolutions L same, the said rigid feeler,

resaca-e to bring the outer periphery of the scrollwheel to the leve of the table and therebjY remove the resistance, which, before, the said scroll wheel had offered to the turning of the steering wheel. The period between any two succeeding steering actions will depend on the time within which the scroll-wheel is being raised by its own revolutions to the level of the table. By increasing or diminishing' the volutes of the scroll, or by accelerating' or retarding the speed of revolution of said scroll-wheel. the periods within which the toy automatically changes its course may be determined.

)ther equivalent means for obtaining a change of the course ol the toy by lifting the lianged wheel out of contact with the resisting edge of the table at any intermediate portion of the length of said edge, may be substituted. According to one modification, such means consist of providing means for forcing the steering wheel 13 down against the surface of the table and thereby raise the forward portion of the car with the flanged wheel 2 so much to lift the flange 3 beyond the edge of the table. The corresponding construction is incorporated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The steering-wheel 13, normally is kept clear or only slightly touching the surface of the support ing table. The rod 14 of said steering-wheel has two collars and between said collars the rod 1a is engaged by the fork of a lever 1S the pivot-point of which is at 17. A driving wheel mounted on the spring-barrel 6 carries a pin 19, which, as the said springbarrel revolves, strikes said level' 18 from below, thereby forcing the forked arm of said lever down and forcibly pressing the steering wheel 13 against the supporting surface. The upper collar carried by the rod 1d, accordingly, will lift the forward portion of the ear 1 and raise the flanged wheel 2 so much to make t-he flange 3 rise beyond the level of the edge 4f. Then the pin 19 has passed below the lever 18, the pressure which had forced the wheel 13 against the surface of the table, will be released and the said steering wheel 13 will bi able to steer the car under the tension of its spring 15. The car will, then, move to the opposite edge of the table and on reaching said edge, the flanged wheel will descend with its flange below said edge. The car, then, will proceed along said edge till the pin 19 again will lift the lever 18 and force down the wheel 13, thereby raising the wheel 2 and causing the car again to change the direction of its course across the table, as before described.

If, instead of using a flanged wheel 2, a feeler rigidly secured to the toy is employed, as fully described in my previous Patent No. 1,041,677, the effect will be the being raised be- Cir yond the level of the edge i of the table, will leave the car to be steered by its steering-wheel 13. modiiication of this construction is shown in Fig. 3. The steeringwheel 13 is carried by a rod 11 adapted to turn under the tension of a spring 15. A feeler 20, sliding along the edge et of the supporting table. no-rmally prevents said steering-wheel from being turned. The said feeler is pivotally secured to the car as at 21. The rear end of said feeler 2O is provided with a slot 22 within which works an eccentric pin 24 carried by any one of the rei-'olving wheels of the driving gear. It will be easily seen, that, when said pin 24 reaches the lower end of its circular path, the slotted portion of the feeler will be depressed and the forward portion, accordingly, raised above the level of the table, thus setting the steeringwheel 13 free to be swung by its controlling spring 15. Such steering will be repeated at intervals depending on the period of revolution of the wheel Q3.

A further modification of this invention is illustrated by Figs. 6 and T. It consists in providing two steering-wheels 26, and 27, independent of each other. The steeringwheel 26, is connected to the feeler 2O and acts substantially in the manner already described in my prior Patent No. 1,0%1,677 to keep the toy running in a straight line along the edge of a table or supporting surface and to cause its automatically turning at the corner of the table. The second steering-wheel QT is carried'by a rod 1st susceptible of being turned by a spring connected to it, the same as the steering wheel 26. The said rod 1i carries two collars and a forked lever 18 engages said rod 14 between the said collars, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. One of the gear-wheels carries a pin 19, which lifts in each revolution the lever 1S and forces the rod let and steering wheel 27 down from the posit-ion in Fig. 6 into the position indicated in Fig. 7. Owing to said downward pressure the forward po-rtion of the toy-car is lifted so much to raise the steering wheel 26 and its feeler Q0 from the position of Fig. 6 into the position of Fig. 7. The toy, then, is steered alone by the wheel. Q7 across the table.

Fig. 8 shows still another modification of my invention, which differs from that illusl trated in Fig. 1 by the fact, that the lever 18. on being struck by the pin 1S). not. only l forces down the rod 1st of a steering wheel.

across the table to its opposite edge, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2.

Driving power may preferably be supplied by a spring-actuated barrel (S and a train of wheels transmitting motion to one of tlu` hind-wheels, say to the wheel 8. I prefer to mount one of the hind-wheels, say the wheel. 11, on a trunnion 1Q independent of the axle of wheel 8, to prevent said wheel 11, from being turned by friction of the axle of wheel 8. And l also prefer to locate said hind-wheel 11 slightly' in the rear of the` driven hind-wheel 8, to facilitate the steering of the toy.

The toothed wheel 9 carried by the axle o't the hind-wheel 8 serves to engage an escapement 31 carried by an idle axle on which a weighted lever 33 is mounted. rIhe said escapement and weighted lever serve to retard motion in a well-known manner. The said idle axle 32 has no connection with the other hind-wheel 11.

l claim as my invention:

1. n a toy, the combination with steering mechanism carried by said toy, of means for controlling the position of said steering mechanism in accordance with guiding surfaces encountered by said controlling means, and with means for automatically and te1nporarily making said controlling means inoperative, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. ln a toy, the combination, with steering-mechanism carried by said toy, of means for controlling the position of said steering mechanism in accordance with guiding surfaces encountered by said controlling means, and with means for automatically and tem porarily raising said controlling means out of engagement with their guiding surfaces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a toy, the con'il'iination, with steering means carried by said toy, of means for con trolling the position of said steering means in accordance with guiding surfaces encountered by said controlling means, said controlling means consisting of a fore-wheel carrying a projecting `liange adapted to bear against the edge of the toy-supporting surface, substantially as set forth.

et. ln a toy, the combination, with steering mechanism carried by said toy, of means for controlling the position of said steering means in accordance with guiding surfaces encountered by said controlling means, said controlling means comprising a fore-wheel having peripheral supporting surfaces at different distances from its axis, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1n a toy, the combination, with a steersame in a vertical direction in its elongated ing wheel carried by said toy, of means for bearings. to set the same free of the edge controlling the position of said steering of the table and permit the toy-car to travel l wheel in accordance with guide-surfaces enbut simultaneously engages one arm of a double-armed lever 2S, fulcrumed as at SO. the other arm of which lever engaging the axle 29 of the iianged wheel '2, to lift the countered by said controlling means, and with means for auton'ia-tioally and temporarily forcing the said steering Wheel down against its supporting surface, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

(i. ln a toy the con'ibination with steering mechanism carried by said toy of means for controlling the position of said steering mechanism in accordance with guiding surfaces encountered by said controlling means and means for rarily making' said controlling means inoperative, such means comprising means for alternatelyT raising and lowering the portion, of the toy carrying' said controlling means.

T. In a. toy7 the combination7 with steeru ing mechanism carried by said toy, ot' means automatically and tempoik notieren for controlling the posit-ion of said steering mechanism in accordance with gnide-sur faces encountered by said controlling means, said controlling means consisting' oft' a flanged fore-wheel of the traveling toy, an axle carrying said hanged fore-Wheel and horizontal trunnions carrying said axle, and a second Wheel carried by the same axle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof lY have signed my name to this specilication in the presence oi two subscribing Witnesses.

UTILI-Hl LM S Ail )TL ER.

Vitnesses JEAN GRUND, CARL Germ.

the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 3D. C. 

